Wikipedia again blocked in China

December 1, 2006

Beijing internet censors have re-blocked the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. The site, previously unblocked in early November after a year-long ban, once again appears to be inaccessible to Chinese web surfers.

Many surfers had welcomed access to the site, with a 75% increase in the number of new articles posted, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The ban on Wikipedia is likely an effort to contain information relating to sensitive topics in China, such as Tibet and Taiwan. CNN reports that Chinese registrations on Wikipedia had jumped to around 1,300 a day after the unblocking, more than three times the previous average of 400 per-day.

It is still unclear if the ban will be lifted again, as the list of blocked and unblocked material for Beijing's internet zone is constantly changed.